Previous root canals procedures included a step of sealing the root canal with a sealant material and then a step of filling the sealed root canal with a filling material. Most typical “sealers” are generally hydrocarbon based amine/epoxy systems, which may result in an unstable system when mixed with powder of a filling material such as ground up gutta-percha points.
Gutta-percha is the most widely used obturation material. However, gutta-percha does not create a seal. It is a second composition referred to as a sealer which creates the seal and then the two materials work together to prevent bacteria from entering the canal system. The gutta-percha can be improved by heating it above its melt temperature thus allowing it to flow. The melted gutta-percha is compacted with a heated a plugger or a solid carrier. The liquid gutta-percha flows into tubules carrying sealer along with it, thus, creating a more complete seal of the root canal system. However, heated gutta-percha has a very high viscosity and tends to be tacky. So, while it flows, it cannot penetrate all tubules or openings, thus the sealer cannot completely seal the entire system.
The gutta-percha can be improved by heating it above its melt temperature thus allowing it to flow. The melted gutta-percha is compacted with a heated a plugger or a solid carrier. The liquid gutta-percha flows into tubules carrying sealer along with it, thus, creating a more complete seal of the root canal system. However, heated gutta-percha has a very high viscosity and tends to be tacky. So, while it flows, it cannot penetrate all tubules or openings, thus the sealer cannot completely seal the entire system.
Since the sealer will be in the canal system in very thin layers it must be very radiopaque to be seen on the x-ray. Therefore, sealers are typically a reactive composite made up mostly of radiopacifier. If the sealer is to flow to fill the very small gaps to create the seal, the polymer portion of the composite must be a very low viscosity (low molecular weight).
Many sealer formulations have been used over the years, zinc oxide eugenol, epoxy amines and acrylates. All these two part systems are heavily filled liquids which once mixed form a paste and then later set into a solid. Sealers of this type cannot be used without the gutta-percha since they would be nearly impossible to retreat, have no method to compact them into the tubules and are not formulated to be used in thick layers.
Although these traditional gutta-percha sealer compositions are generally effective in treating root canals, it would be desirable to have a gutta-percha/sealer 2 in 1 composition which could fill the canal system without the need for heat. Ideally, the 2 in 1 composition would have a lower viscosity and be less tacky than melted gutta-percha. This improvement would increase the penetration of the composition into the complex of tubules and tiny openings to more completely seal the entire root canal system. More particularly, the present invention attempts to overcome these deficiencies by providing stable improved 2-in-1 sealer composition (e.g., a composite sealant composition) and/or adhesion promoter with optional cross-linked formulations and methods for treating root canals using compositions thereof. Desirably, the present invention provides such improved obturation compositions having these desirable properties as well as other beneficial features and advantages.